1951 saw the introduction of an inter-district challenge event. Mr and Mrs
C G Welch donated the trophy for this event, which was hotly contested over
the years and remains today the premier inter-district event - the Ranfurly
Shield of Indoor Bowls.
Competition was keen from the outset. A team of eight players was required and
districts challenging the holder were required to travel at their own expense
and play the holder at the holder's venue.
In the first ten years of play the Welch Trophy was held by Wellington, Horowhenua,
Waikato, Horowhenua, Ruapehu, Hutt Valley, Wellington, Waikato, Northland and
Auckland. Only three challenges were made from the South Island and none were
successful. The high cost of the inter-island journey was a severe deterrent
and the South Island had developed a separate trophy event along similar lines
- The Paterson Trophy.
To overcome the problem the Federation decided in 1964 to take over the South
Island Paterson Trophy, start a similar event in the North Island then arrange
for the winners of each Island Trophy to meet and play for the Welch Trophy
with the expenses of the Welch Trophy being paid by the Federation.
This move was very popular and greatly increased the number of challenges but
heightened the problem of many challenges being refused for lack of playing
dates. In 1976 the North Island was divided into two playing zones with the
winners of each zone meeting to play for the North Island Paterson Trophy at
the end of the season before the Welch Trophy event. This principle was further
expanded in 1980 to allow two Paterson events in the North Island each having
two challenge zones while the South Island had three challenge zones. Winners
of the challenge zones met and played for their Paterson Trophy . The three
Paterson Trophy winners then met and played a round robin event for the Welch
Trophy. In 1984 the number of zones in the South Island Paterson was increased
from two to three. The three zone survivors met in a play-off for the Paterson
Trophy.
In 1989 the districts were divided into twelve zones. A round robin competition
was staged within each zone. The winners of zone one and two, three and four,
etc., played off for the Paterson Trophy. The six Paterson Trophy winners then
met for the Welch Trophy.
In 2006 it was decided to reduce the number of districts competing for the Welch
Trophy to three.To achieve this the six Paterson Trophy winners met in three
elimination play offs (two in the North Island and one in the South Island)
to find the three districts to go forward to compete in the National Event,
the winner of which will win the Welch Trophy for the season.In the playoffs
the winner of zone one played the winner of zone 2; the winner of zone three
played the winner of zone four and the winner of zone five played the winner
of zone six.